Perfect Storm (for lack of a better term)

As I get ready for the first day of class.....again.....I feel a certain anticipation that I have never felt before. It feels as if this fall the content of my classes will be soooo thought provoking and inspiring my head might simply implode. I mean this may very well be a "Perfect Storm" (for lack of a gayer term) of college semesters. Largest freshman class ever. 3-2 female ratio. 5 new bars downtown. And I'm getting my teeth fixed!!! I know I know I'm too old to be thinking like that right.....bullshit!! Truth is I don't really want a women younger than 25..I mean if I had to I guess I could comply...god I love Athens. 

Still, I have yet to mention the linchpin in this "Perfect Storm" (for lack of a queerer term). This past winter it became apparent that coach Richt was attempting to put together something special. As the press coined it a "Dream Team"(completely acceptable) of recruits all, or at least most, being from the great state of Georgia.

With commitments like Ray Drew, Malcom Mitchell and the highly touted Isaiah Crowell, Coach Richt locked down the number 6 recruiting class in the country according to ESPN. They landed two 5 star recruits and fifteen 4 star recruits. 

So Richt got the number six class in the country. Please keep in mind that he has done this before. Hell he has done better. In 2009 they had the 6th ranked recruiting class. In 2006 they had the 4th ranked class that included Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno among other future NFL players. I mean really the ranking is completely bogus anyhow. Every year Notre Dame gets a high rank and every year they suck. What is impressive to me is that he learned from his mistakes. 

With Richt's early success at Georgia came an ability to recruit on a national basis that the Bulldogs had never really had before. Look at the past. Coach Dooley kept it in the state and found greats like Herchel Walker, Buck Belue, and Lindsay Scott. Then there is Goff, Ugh but still Ray new the rule of southern football. Reference Eric Zeir, Robert Edwards, and Garrison Hearst. Donnan even followed suit with the players like the Bailey boys, Quincy Carter, and Hines Ward. Every one of those players played in the NFL at some point. And that’s just a small small sample.

So where am I going with this??? The past has shown that the state of Georgia is second ONLY to the state of Florida when it comes to producing great college football players. Georgia's has a rich high school football tradition, long warm seasons and a large African American population. These three thing allow for a "Perfect Storm" (for lack of a lamer word) of player development. Kids play football year round in down here. Its awesome. Quincy Carter was the fastest football player I have ever seen/ His Southweat Dekalb team was amazing. But still they were beat by a deep south Valdosta High School team that year. Just goes to show how good high school football is down here.

I know Matt Stafford was a great Bulldog, and Knowshon was incredible to watch. But out of state players like them are few and far between. And Stafford gets exemption, he comes from Texas...they are probably number 3 in producing players. 

Coach got back to basics. He realized that he must protect the state of the University of Georgia. Being a former quarterback at Miami he is always looking elsewhere for that special passer. Fine. But no need to leave the state for any other position. He proved it this year. I can’t wait to see Jarvis Jones and that 3-4 line up against the Smurfs of Boise State. 

To think that UGA got this recruiting class on the heels of a 6-7 seasons only makes me more excited about the future of this program. 

Tech is no longer an issue. It’s every other school in the country that comes down here to hand pick which outstanding players they want. It should not happen and I feel that coach Richt realized that. Richt and his staff were obviously not being held to a high enough standard. 

Is it a coincidence that the downfall of the UGA football program and the Former AD Damon Evans scandal went hand in hand? I think not. DUI, Downtown Atlanta (Tech territory no less), 20 year old girl in the car, wedding ring on his hand, and her panties in his lap!! Now that's a "Perfect Storm" (for lack of a more homosexual word) of embarrassment!! I think it’s indicative of the integrity that he commands from his sports programs. If he is willing to put himself in that position and get caught, he probably wasn’t running to tight a ship here in Athens. With the hiring of Mike McGarity it is apparent that there has been a new focus to recruit in state. I have a feeling it will pay off. We will return to this in December.

So I am ready for the new semester. Ready to learn. Ready to for females. And ready to CHEER!! My early prediction.....10-3 with a bowl win.